The present invention is directed to an apparatus for automatically cleaning the hull of a floating boat.
The submersed parts of a boat hull will eventually build up a film of bacterial growth or mineral residue along the hull surfaces that can substantially detract from the overall performance of the vessel as well as its appearance.
Various hull cleaning apparatus have been developed in the past that function serviceably to clean a limited variety of hull configurations. It remains desirable, however, to obtain some form of cleaning device that will function efficiently to clean the hulls of power boats with shallow keels and sailboat hulls which typically include large vertically downward projecting keels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,391 granted to Locati in 1971 discloses the use of two sets of brushes for cleaning the bottom of a boat. The brush supports are hinged on side frames, outward of the boat's path. Biasing mechanisms urge the brushes against the hull of a boat that is being moved past. The cleaning arrangement is mounted on pontoons which float at the water surface. Repair of the device must be completed either on the floating arrangement or by elevating the entire cleaning arrangement to facilitate access to the brushes and drive mechanisms that would normally be submerged or directly adjacent to the water surface. No independent specific provision is made for cleaning the downwardly projecting keels of sailboats.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,124 to Campbell shows powered brushes for cleaning the bottom surfaces of small boats. The brushes are yieldably urged against the bottom hull surfaces from pivot points alongside of the boat as the boat is being pulled through the apparatus. Vertical support columns are provided mounting the brushes for elevational adjustment. Again, no particular provision is made for the cleaning of sailboat keels.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,752,109 to Seiple and 4,043,286 to Doty both describe U-shaped frame apparatus having side brushes and bottom brushes pivoted from sides of supporting frames for engaging a boat hull. Seiple includes provisions for adjusting the pressure on the boat hull in an even application. Doty shows two independently rotating brushes (pivoted on sides of the frame outward of the boat's path) for cleaning the hull bottom surfaces and longitudinally spaced side brushes for cleaning the side surfaces of a boat.
A boat hull cleaning device that includes provisions for cleaning the keel of a sailboat is illustrated in the Laney U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,184. Laney makes use of a conveyor belt brush arrangement that is yieldable along its laterally oriented operating flight to accommodate the hull and keel of a sailboat. Two endless belts are provided, one for cleaning each longitudinal side of a sailboat hull. The conveyor flights converge at the center line of the hull to move downwardly to the bottom of the keel. A gap formed at the beginning of the vertical keel cleaning portions of the flights would leave a similar uncleaned gap along the keel portions of a power boat.
An alternate form of the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,184 makes use of horizontally biased cylindrical brushes. The brushes are situated in vertically spaced positions along a carrying frame. Rotational axes for the brushes run parallel to the path of the boat through the cleaning device. The brushes appear able to clean narrow longitudinal strips of a boat hull but would likely leave a longitudinal keel strip uncleaned along a standard power boat hull.
Of the above devices, all that make use of pivoted arm arrangements for supporting rotatable hull cleaning brushes operate effectively only within a restricted size range and variety of hull configurations. The brush arms are pivoted at the sides of the boat's path through the device so the brushes must pivot laterally away from the path when larger hulls are encountered. The brushes thus spread will no longer overlap one another transversely and will only clean individual strips along the engaged hull surface, leaving wide swaths uncleaned.
The present device includes brush arms that are mounted on pivot axes that are situated directly below the path so the associated brushes will merely pivot up and down while remaining in a transversely overlapping relationship across the hull path.